Tom Brevoort considers the current line of Marvel books, and likes what he sees:
It could be that I just have rose-colored glasses on, but it really seems like there’s a lot of exciting stuff coming out of Marvel at the moment. I page through our Previews catalogue, and there really isn’t much that I’m not genuinely interested in… Look, there are always going to be people who don’t like some or all of wht we’re doing, and we can always be doing something better and striving to improve. But I have to say, from where I’m sitting, we’ve got an extremely strong line of titles coming out at the moment, with a little something for everybody. And if I was working for the competition, I’d be sweating just a little bit at this point.
Adding that your mileage may vary – although, as much as I may not enjoy all of the Marvel line, you only have to look at Marvel’s dominance of 2007 to see that it’s a very strong line – the one thing that really surprised me from Tom’s post was this:
I also dig our oversized hardcovers, and keep paying out of pocket to upgrade my own copies when issues of NEW AVENGERS and the like are eventually collected in this format.
Dear whoever at Marvel: Why isn’t Tom getting these books for free? Dude, if anyone should be on the comp list…
January 24th, 2008 at 9:21 am
This part of the quote struck me as kind of strange: “Look, there are always going to be people who don’t like some or all of wht we’re doing”
Isn’t that kind of a weird way to approach a huge and diverse line of comics? Wouldn’t it be better to approach things with an attitude of, “We create such a diverse line of comics that everyone will be able to find something that fits their personal tastes.”
I think Tom’s quote just reflects the fact that Marvel is pretty much making only one kind of book post-Civil War and either you like that kind of book, or you’re left with nothing to like about Marvel’s mainstream line.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I actually told Tom at the Baltimore comic Con that I was looking forward to almost the entire line for the first time in years.
The only thing I wasn’t looking forward to was Millar on FF, for a number of reasons, including a general dislike of Millar’s work and specific dislike on how he wrote Reed in Civil War. So he plopped three dollars down on the table in front of me to buy it on the idea that if I like it I’ll pay him back at some point and if I don’t I can always bring him the comic back at another con.
I’ve got my doubts but I’ll at least be picking the book up and giving it a fair shot.
January 24th, 2008 at 10:48 am
I still say Marvel’s putting out some pretty good books, albeit the ones I enjoy are chronically late and don’t sell real well.
January 24th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
WUXTRY! WUXTRY! MARVEL EDITOR PRAISES MARVEL COMICS ON ONLINE SHOCKER!
January 24th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
“I think Tom’s quote just reflects the fact that Marvel is pretty much making only one kind of book post-Civil War and either you like that kind of book, or you’re left with nothing to like about Marvel’s mainstream line.”
I think you are reading too much into it, facts are that you cant please everyone, it is simply impossible no matter how hard you try
January 24th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Ken – spot on. But maybe what TB meant was that the entire line was looking good compared to the shocking state of DC, which would have been funnier/truer.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
The only problem with that statment, Mark, is that it’s so patently boneheaded that it hardly abides the telling.
January 25th, 2008 at 4:14 am
I think Tom just meant that with all the recent discussions about a certain title that has raised some ire, he felt like talking about something positive. And I think he honestly felt like there was a lot of good stuff coming from Marvel, maybe even more good stuff than some of the other years in his career.
Not that this isn’t a Marvel editor on a Marvel site praising comics. That’s still a fair point.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:39 am
The reference to the NEW AVENGERS hardcovers is a little strange, especially in light of the recent blog entry devoted to Bendis (see http://www.marvel.com/blogs/Tom_Brevoort/entry/997 ). Brevoort seems to be going out of his way to praise Bendis and his material, either because he feels the praise is required and wants to comply, or because the pressure for public compliments makes him uncomfortable and the blog entries are his way of coping. And if you look at the material–! NEW AVENGERS is practically directionless, with Bendis providing filler until NEW AVENGERS ANNUAL #2 and “Secret Invasion” come out; NEW AVENGERS #36 rendered the entire MIGHTY AVENGERS “symbiote” storyline superfluous, unless one wants to see Spider-Woman and others playing the roles of wild-eyed conspiracy theorists to promote “Secret Invasion.” Brevoort is collecting examples of his own editorial negligence.
SRS